


Out Loud

by gallabich



Series: Creek Week 2018 [1]
Category: South Park
Genre: Coffee Shops, Creek Week 2018, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, a few homophobic slurs, but not too much, day 1: coffee shop/first, not enough to be rated M, overreacting Craig
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 02:51:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16380020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gallabich/pseuds/gallabich
Summary: "Soon people got over Tweek x Craig. And the two never spoke to each other agian. Until of course, One hot summer day before the start of Junior year."AU where Craig never held Tweek's hand.





	Out Loud

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution to Creek Week. Day 1: coffeeshop/first. There's a small bit of underage sexual content but it's not that much. 
> 
> Inspired by the song Heart Out by The 1975

                Craig wasn’t soft. That was a trait that wasn’t in his DNA. His parents weren’t the loving giving type like Eric’s mother or the abrasive but caring type like the Broflovskis. They were loud. Abrasive. Not afraid to speak their mind and mostly got into fights if people tried to tell them their children weren’t the best influence. Flipping off was something he never knew was “a problem” until first grade. His behavior had always gotten him in trouble. After the first five meetings, Craig had lost count of how many times he was sent to Mackey’s office, gone through detention, and his parents signing the papers without giving him any sort of lecture or praise for his behavior.

Sometimes he wished his parents would ground him.

The only time his parents did get mad and did punish him (if you could really call not watching TV for only a day punishment) was third grade in shop class; because of Tweek Tweak. The fight was horrible and neither of them actually won. Just sent them to the hospital and Craig’s dad was pretty pissed at all of the medical bills that came with his idiot son fighting in a fucking shop class.

Craig was just a passive kid that people didn’t really think badly of.

Until of course, _the_ incident.

 _The_ incident involving Tweek Tweak again. _The_ incident where the whole town thought they were gay, and Craig was praised by many, criticized by others (his father). _The_ incident where he stopped telling his guinea pig secrets. _The_ incident where Tweek, someone he considered to be one of his closest friends, completely fucked him over. And the whole town was in a state of depression and Craig was criticized by many, praised by others (his father). 

The older he got, the more abrasive he became. And the more people shied away from him.

Time went on and people got over Tweek x Craig. And the two never spoke a word to each other again.

Until one hot summer day before junior year happened.

 

“It’s just that you’re 16 years old now sweetie,” his mother was trying to sugar coat it as much as she could, “we could really use some extra money.”

“So you need to buy your own shit instead of us getting’ it for you.” His father was never the type to sugar coat.

Laura Tucker gave her son a smile as she put some applications down in front of him, “I printed these out for you. You can go to Market Street and apply to the other small places. I heard the coffee shop is looking for someone.”

Craig made a face, “Tweek Bros Coffee?”

“You’re over that gay phase, right?” Thomas Tucker’s voice had boomed from the other room, “it shouldn’t be that hard working with an ex-boy….an ex from fourth grade, son. Aren’t you dating that Red girl?”

Craig shrugged, knowing it would kill his parents to find out that, no, he and Red were not dating, that she has been helping him out with algebra homework and now they’ve bonded so much, they’re close. But not dating. Craig doesn’t like girls. But he kept his father’s proud speech in the back of his mind from 6 years ago. The proud speech that translated to, ‘I’m proud you’re not a fag’.

 

            Whole Foods only had an online application that Craig was too lazy to go all the way back home and turn in, he turned in the movie theater application only to be told by the ticket guy that they probably wouldn’t be hiring until August since they just got a bunch of temp college students. Taking a really deep breath, Craig walked in next door, immediately being pulled into the haze of childhood nostalgia.

 The bell was the same from years before, his eyes gazed on the table he Token, Clyde and Jimmy would sit at while waiting for Tweek to finish up work. He remembered the ‘rescue’ missions when he would grab Tweek and go back to Kupa Keep when they played fantasy. He even remembered the first taste of coffee he had. When he felt like he was going to throw up so Tweek made him a chai tea latte. That was the very last thing they did before _the_ incident spiraled them out of friendship.

Tweek turned around from the counter, and Craig wanted to scream at his heart for flipping upside down and beating faster. The short nervous boy now stood at around 5’8 and his hair was cut a little shorter than he had it when they were kids. His eyes were wide, more sunken in, he looked a lot thinner.

“C-Craig?” His voice wasn’t the same as Craig remembered, “What are you doing here?”

Craig moved slowly up towards the counter, “I…saw the help wanted sign? Trying to save money for a new pair of wheels.” He’d find it embarrassing to tell his…ex friend that his mother offered to work here, just because they were poor.

“Oh. Right, okay,” Tweek ducked down under the counter and rummaged through a few packs of disorganized papers and packets of sugars and straws, he emerged back with two slips of paper; one with a set of questions the other completely blank, “so, answer the questions on the blank piece and I’ll give it to my dad when he comes in…or…if you want to just, wait for a little while, he’ll be here at 4.”

The dark haired teen looked at the time, seeing that it was 3:45, and immediately mulled over the options. He could fill out the application, bike back home and wait around for a call. Or, he could impress his parents by coming home with a job already in place. Craig nodded at Tweek, taking a seat at the booth that he used to always sit at. 

 

 

* * *

 

            Three days later, Craig started at Tweek Bros, and he had instantly regretted it. Tweek was no good trainer, but he seemed to be stuck with him because of his insane schedule. He couldn’t tell if Tweek was nervous that Craig was working, if he was nervous for being so busy, or if he was just nervous because he was Tweek, but it was probably the most enduring 5 hours of Craig’s life. Towards the end of his shift, Tweek had probably fucked up more times than he could count and spilled an excessive amount of milk everywhere.

As Craig helped him clean it up, he blurted out, “You can calm down y’know,” Tweek looked at him with his wide-sunken in eyes, “it’s just me.”

“Exactly.”

That response kept Craig up all night.

 

The tension finally began to bare down by the end of July. The more they worked together, the more they talked, and the more Craig finally saw the real Tweek in 6 years. Craig mostly worked 12-8 shifts, being on his own until 4 until Tweek came in, who would stay until 9. On Thursdays and Fridays they closed together. Most of the time they complained about customers, or Tweek gave good tips and advice on how to make the best coffee. He tried to teach him latte art, but Craig was no artist.

“Dude what?  No,” Tweek laughed at Craig’s failed attempt to create a simple leaf, “you gotta be patient with it, this just looks like a two year old poured a whole glass of milk in coffee.”

“Well jesus, sorry not all of us have been doing this since we came out of the womb,” Craig smiled behind Tweek who giggled. It was…adorable, “how can you make it look like a middle finger?”

“That’s something I’ll have to try, I guess,” Tweek rolled his eyes as he made a perfect shape in his latte. A heart.

 

* * *

 

            Once school started, Craig witnessed Tweek’s anxiety attack for the very first time since they were 9.

It was a Saturday night on the first weekend of October, and nearly everyone decided they wanted coffee, because there was a line, quite literally, out the door. Neither of Tweek’s parents had come in despite Tweek’s constant calling over and over saying they really needed back up, and it was a hard enduring 4 hour rush that couldn’t come quick enough.

At a certain point Craig saw Tweek shaking out of the corner of his eye, he offered to do the register so he could be the barista, knowing that he was, much more comfortable doing that. It didn’t last long though. He fucked up a soy latte no whip by putting extra whip and regular milk, but after remaking it he ran into the back. Craig just held back his tongue and tamed the line as best as he could for the remaining 30 minutes.

The moment it hit 9pm Craig turned around the Open sign and switched off the lights in the lobby before exiting towards the back, where he saw Tweek sitting in a corner, pulling his hair tightly and rocking back and forth.  


“Hey,” Craig said calmly, surprised at his own voice, he put a hand on Tweek’s shoulder, “are you okay?”

“No. I mean. _Fuck_. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you  like that I’m sorry I’m so so sorry Craig I-“

“Hey, shh, it’s okay,” Craig got against the wall with him and wrapped an arm around the blonde, “don’t worry about it,  it’s over now,” he had a feeling that they were referring to more than just the rush.

Tweek leaned into him, “Stay. Please.”

So Craig did.

 

* * *

 

            “Kenny? Really?” They were closing together on a Tuesday night, just two days before Christmas eve, and Craig has never seen it as slow as it was. He could probably count on one hand how many guests came in since 12pm.

There was a smug smirk on Tweek’s face as he swept up the lobby, “Don’t worry, he’s not all that special as everyone makes him out to be. Didn’t even give a proper blowjob.”

“What?! Dude!” Kenny grimaced at the thought of Kenny McCormick on his knees taking in Tweek’s cock. But his thoughts lingered on what Tweek probably looked like. How his eyes would have rolled back, his mouth open while gasping at each-

Wait. Wait. _No._

Tweek’s string of laughter got Craig out of the lewd thoughts of his coworker…friend? They haven’t really hung out after work.

“I’m kidding, Craig. Kenny never got near me like that. I’m just going off on what I’ve heard some people say.”

“So why’d you say it asshole?” Craig rolled his eyes while restocking the sugar packets on the tables.

Tweek smile while leaning on his broom, “To see your reaction,” he giggled when Craig flipped him off, “No. I didn’t even kiss Kenny. Haven’t really kissed anyone-is that weird? I mean, I’m 16 and I still haven’t even kissed.”

Craig shrugged, “Neither have I,” he sat up on the counter, “And I’m turning 17 in a little over a month. It’s not weird, dude.”

“Thought you were dating Red,” Tweek went over to the counter and poured out all the money from the tip jar and began to split it up, “I see you sit with her at lunch and you walk home together.”

Craig shrugged, “It’s a cover up. My parents. My dad he…” suddenly it felt like he was drowning, “it’ll kill him to know that I’m…y’know, into dudes.”

Tweek’s green eyes stood into Craig’s for what seemed like for hours. He broke away, “oh. Right.” He straightened up the money in his arm before shoving it in his back pocket, “Tip’s 7.45. Next time, don’t flip our principle off.” He left the café quickly.

Craig sighed following him out, but Tweek went straight to locking the door, without saying a word, “Tweek,” he said his name without any real reason of saying it.

The blonde turned around furiously and brought his lips up to Craig’s. Craig nearly panicked, unsure where this was coming from, unsure how to even react. But he let his instincts get the best of him as he held the small of Tweek’s back and kissed back; Tweek’s hand rested on his collarbone.

Everything was warm.

 

* * *

 

            Craig had to bite his tongue shamelessly to hold in the moan that was repressing in the back of his throat. Stupid Tricia said she was going to her friend’s house the moment she got out of school, but at 4 o clock, in the middle of an extremely hot and heavy make out session, Craig heard the door of his sister’s room shut. And now they were escalated to even more hot and heavy situations, and there was no way Tricia would let this go if she caught them.

A little over a month had passed since he and Tweek kissed, and it never stopped. Closing meant spending at least 15 to 45 minutes making out in the back, dry humping against the counter, small and subtle hickeys under the collars of each other’s shirts. Today was the only Friday where the two had off, where his parents would be at work until 6 and he thought he’d have the whole house to himself, but his stupid 13 year old sister had to ruin it.

But that wouldn’t stop Tweek from being under the covers, mouth on Craig who was trying every way possible to not finish right there and then with a loud yell.

He gripped Tweek’s grown out hair, arching his back, trying with all his might not to buck his hips up. It was obvious Tweek wasn’t experienced, but goddammit it felt so fucking good.

“F-fuck babe, I’m go-“ he let out a drawn out moan, praying to god the music was loud enough so Tricia didn’t hear. His vision went blurry and he closed his eyes, panting deeply.

“Did you just call me babe?” Craig opened his eyes to see Tweek leaning against his chest with a shit eating grin on his face.

Craig went red, “Well yeah uh. Wanna go out, maybe?” Since when the fuck did Craig turn this soft?

Tweek chuckled before kissing Craig’s collarbone up to his lips, “Guess we can. Try dating again,” the kiss lingered, “Happy birthday, _sweetie_.”

 

* * *

 

         Clyde spate out his drink, “You haven’t’ fucking _told_ them yet?!”

Craig sunk down in the loveseat that had reeked of weed since Clyde moved it down to his basement. He passed the pipe over to Tweek, who had been extremely passive aggressive with him all morning.

“He hasn’t.” the blonde spat before taking a hit.

“But, you guys have been dating for two years now!”

“20 months,” Craig muttered. His gut was twisting, Tweek trying to shove Craig’s legs off of his lap wasn’t helping.

“Why? What are you so fucking afraid of, man? I mean holy shit. We graduated months ago, nearly all of our friends are gone, Token and Nic are p-“

“Token and Nicole are straight, Clyde,” Craig found his voice more abrasive than he wanted it to be, “you don’t fucking get it, and you don’t know my dad.” He stood up and left, head swimming from the weed and anger. What the fuck would Clyde know?

Upon realizing that he and Tweek opened together that morning, Craig had regretted leaving the way he did last night. And just as predicted, Tweek was silent, and it was definitely not a good mental health day for him, which only Craig was to blame for that.

The rush had died down, and Tweek was in the corner, picking at his cuticles that were already cracked from the freezing cold, “You can go now, if you want.”

“are you going to do this all week?”

“No,” Tweek bit off a hang nail, “just until you come out to your parents.”

Craig sighed, “Babe-“

“Don’t ‘babe’ me! What the fuck are you scared of?!” his yelling caught the attention of a few customers. Tweek looked around and went in the back, gesturing Craig to follow him, “So what if they kick you out? You can just live with me in my parent’s house. We can work here until we have enough money to move, then we can work at some café in Denver together,” his eyes were red from holding back tears, “and you can start at the community college there, and then, we can get a studio apartment….or rent a room or something,” he choked out a sob and leaned his head against Craig’s chest, “I’m tired of hiding it.”

Criag rubbed his back and hid his face in the wild nest of blonde hair, “I know.”

* * *

 

Christmas Day, two days after that, he told his whole family that came into town.

His grandmother said something about how his uncle owed him 40 bucks, Tricia squealed and jumped up on the couch, immediately calling Karen to tell her that yes, her idiot brother finally came out. His mother gave him a present kissing his temple, while whispering she’s known since he was 9. That she could hear him tell Stripe his secrets. His father left the room into the backyard.

Craig followed him, something he wouldn’t have done just a year ago.

His father was sitting on one of the deck’s lounge chairs, smoking a cigarette. Craig cautiously approached him not saying a word,

“When that whole fiasco first happened,” Thomas Tucker’s voice was never quiet, “I thought, no. This couldn’t happen to my son. Why would my son be gay?” Thomas Tucker never sugar coated, “but then I remember seeing how…depressed you were when you and that Tweek boy broke up-back then anyways,” Craig took a seat next to him, “and I thought, it wasn’t fair that you, my son, were upset on other’s behalf because you didn’t want people, me, to think of you any differently. And to be yourself Craig, that is truly all I want you to be. I like gay Craig.”

Craig smiled, nearly relieved of this type of reaction from his father, one that he never thought he would get before, “Thanks dad.” He stood up, not expecting to hug it out. They were Tuckers after all. Tuckers don’t hug feelings out. Unless it’s with a certain blonde boy who would change one’s life forever.

He sent Tweek a heart and thumb’s up emoji, along with telling him to come over. Laura Tucker gawked at how big he’s gotten and attempted to brush back his mane of wild hair. Tricia asked about the weird shit he did in bed, and Thomas offered him to watch the Bronco’s game Sunday night. The blonde stayed close to Craig the whole time, who gave him a kiss on the cheek nearly every five minutes. Ecstatic that he was able to do that in front of his family. He hoped that life working at the coffee shop and having his old childhood friend at his side would stay the same for many, many years to come.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to try to contribute to everyday this week because goddaMN i Love Creek. I can't promise anything though. the others definitely won't be as long as this one.


End file.
